Dish discounted program packages.

[dare2be]

I would think they could reward longevity just like they give rewards for referrals...$5 off your monthly bill each year you remain a customer with a minimum package level, starting after your 2nd year, with a maximum of 5 "self-referrals."

 

[HanoverPretzel]

I have been with Dish since 2004 and have never asked for anything. It seems to me that if I paid for my own equipment upgrades over the years and it didn't cost them any additional cost that they could reward loyal customers from time to time. It appears the people that bounce between TV providers, cell phone companies, etc for promotional discounts get the rewards and since they switch every 2 years, that has to be waste of money and equipment.

You shouldn't have to threaten to switch to get the deal, the whole system has trained people to act the way they do. It should reward loyal customers not the drifters just looking for something for free.

That is a good point. You know, honestly, I didn't want to leave cable at the time I did. They just made the situation too expensive for me. If they had, say, eliminated new customer promotions, and offered a regular price point between their regular prices and the new customer promotions they currently have, I probably would have stayed forever. I mean, there were some things about cable I was unhappy with, but it was my financial situation and their unwillingness to offer me a discount despite them estimating in press reports that 60% of their customers are on promotional rates, that really made the difference in getting me out the door.

Now Dish has got me. There are some things I'm unhappy with. Having said, that, if my bill were $20 a month lower for the same channels, it's unlikely that I'd quit when my contract expires.

Of course, if companies charge their lowest rates to new customers and their highest rates to their loyal long-term customers, then, you are exactly right, they are essentially training people to flip providers. Providers can complain about it, but they are creating the situation. Give people enough financial incentive, especially if money is tight, and of course they will make a change every so often. It'd almost be stupid not to. I mean, look, for folks who are lower class, that difference in the bill really makes a difference each month in real terms -- healthier food on the table, greater ability to visit family and friends, being able to get out of the apartment, being able to see a doctor more regularly, and so on and so forth. Real differences in quality of life.